In recent years, there has been a movement towards replacing incandescent light bulbs with lighting fixtures or products that employ more efficient lighting technologies. One such technology that shows tremendous promise employs light emitting diode (LED) chips. Compared with incandescent bulbs, LED-based light fixtures are much more efficient at converting electrical energy into light and are longer lasting, and as a result, lighting fixtures that employ LED technologies are expected to replace incandescent bulbs in residential, commercial, and industrial applications.
Manufacturers of LED lighting products are constantly seeking ways to reduce their cost in order to provide a lower initial cost to customers, and encourage the adoption of LED products. Connectors incorporating fewer components which allow LED based modules to exhibit sustained or increased brightness levels are becoming more desirable. Conventional connectors can employ messy and/or costly soldering processes and materials. To date, there are no solderless connectors that are also configured to efficiently mechanically and electrically connect an LED chip based module within a light fixture while also increasing brightness levels, in part, by covering electrical components or electrical controls. That is, conventional connectors can leave electrical components of LED modules exposed, thereby allowing the components to block, absorb and/or otherwise interfere with light.
Thus, despite the availability of various connectors in the marketplace, a need remains for connector devices, systems, and/or methods which can be produced with fewer parts and/or processing steps, efficiently, and at a lower cost. Such connector devices, systems, and/or methods can make it easier for end-users to justify switching to LED based products from a return on investment or payback perspective.